1/48 Focke Wulf Fw 190D

[Of Models & Monsters]

Hola.  I was all set to get Eduard's 1/48 Fw 190D-9 (Late Version) until I heard rumors that it was a poor fitting kit.  Has anyone built it and agree with that claim?  Cause i'm also looking at Hobby Boss' Fw 190D-9 and wondering if that might be better.

[Werdna]

Not so much 'poor fitting' - but not an 'easy' kit to build, in that some work is needed to make everything fit and/or line up properly.  Or at least that's my impression of it but I'm happy to be corrected on that.

 

The Hobby Boss D-9 - on the other hand - is an excellent kit.  I built one recently, with no major issues, despite my best attempts to screw it up   Not sure about prices for the kit in Canada, but in the UK you can pick one up for around £15 or less, which makes it incredible VFM.  My RFI thread is here: 

 

 

[Of Models & Monsters]

8 hours ago, Werdna said:

Not so much 'poor fitting' - but not an 'easy' kit to build, in that some work is needed to make everything fit and/or line up properly.  Or at least that's my impression of it but I'm happy to be corrected on that.

 

The Hobby Boss D-9 - on the other hand - is an excellent kit.  I built one recently, with no major issues, despite my best attempts to screw it up   Not sure about prices for the kit in Canada, but in the UK you can pick one up for around £15 or less, which makes it incredible VFM.  My RFI thread is here: 

 

 

Very nice job.  I do always like to choose Eduard profipack kits cause of the included photo etch and masks but I will have to make a tough decision between the two.

[Tail-Dragon]

Here's my attempt at the HobbyBoss 190D-9. It's a very nice, straight forward kit that just needs a few 'tweeks' for accuracy.  Fast and fun build.

 

https://imodeler.com/2017/12/hobbyboss-1-48-fw-190d-9-halle-germany-1945/

 

 

[Seawinder]

That looks very nice, T-D. Can you enlarge on the accuracy tweaks you mentioned? I have a copy of the kit and will build it sometime fairly soon.

Thanks!

p.s. What is the light gray on the wings and tail? I don't recall seeing that before.

[Crimea River]

The Eduard kit is geared toward those modellers who want to display open gun bays. The cowls are separate parts and are nicely represented in the open position. However, if you want to display your model with the cowls in the closed position, then they take some work to make them fit flush. If the open gun bays aren't important to you then the HB kit may be the way to go.

[Hal LH]

Hi,  Not long started a threesome (!!!) ,build, of the  Tamiya "D", using all the upgrade sets I have accumulated over the years, MDC cockpit, engine plug, ( anyone else put this together?) Eagleparts, etc.   I'm only doing this to use the bits and to see what the end result looks like in comparison. The Eduard "D" (Revell boxing ) , Great if you want everything open  , very fussy build , but looks pretty good when done. I think the cockpit is too shallow, maybe this looks better with the photo etch in place, and its got a fat leading edge to the tail. And the Hobbyboss "D" Good fitting, accurate, All as Tail-Dragon says it is, Tweeks,  Gun barrels, flatten the radiator flap on the intake side, busy up the engine plug with more pipework if you feel like it, Instrument panel maybe, I changed the seat, but looking at the new Barracuda cockpit update set, maybe I needn't have.  I think its got a too flat bottom to the rear fuselage but not really that noticeable.  All in all excellent kit, one of Hobbybosses successes .  Enjoy your choice, and build.    

[Werdna]

30 minutes ago, Seawinder said:

p.s. What is the light gray on the wings and tail? I don't recall seeing that before.

 

Without wishing to pre-empt T-D's answer, some 190D schemes call for a RLM 75, 76 or 77 (ie light grey, blue-grey or pale grey) upper surface colour on the wings, usually in conjunction with a darker shade of either grey or green such as RLM 66, 81 or 82, depending on whose colour profiles you place your bets on.  The wing camo on mine was finished in RLM 75 and 77 (for 77 I replaced with USAF light grey, rightly or wrongly..) 

[Tail-Dragon]

1 hour ago, Seawinder said:

That looks very nice, T-D. Can you enlarge on the accuracy tweaks you mentioned? I have a copy of the kit and will build it sometime fairly soon.

Thanks!

p.s. What is the light gray on the wings and tail? I don't recall seeing that before.

Thanks. As I recall, the 'tweeks' were as follows - with open cowl flaps, the one in front of the supercharger intake is locked closed. True Details resin seat (with belts) and Ultracast exhaust. Fabricate the missing ammo cans for the cowl guns, oil tank and wheel well details, and the brake lines and cannons from tubing.

 The colors (as per Experten decals) were (upper surface) RLM 76 and RLM 82 Light green,  and on aft fuselage RLM 81 Braunviolett.  Lower surface was RLM 76 (nose, ailerons and stabs), RLM 76 (grey-green variation) on aft fuselage, and RLM 74/ natural metal on wing lowers.

 

 

Edited September 2, 2020 by Tail-Dragon

[Of Models & Monsters]

7 hours ago, Crimea River said:

The Eduard kit is geared toward those modellers who want to display open gun bays. The cowls are separate parts and are nicely represented in the open position. However, if you want to display your model with the cowls in the closed position, then they take some work to make them fit flush. If the open gun bays aren't important to you then the HB kit may be the way to go.

Oh so the fitting is only a problem if you aren't displaying the guns?  Cause I would have displayed them open anyway.

[Nachtwulf]

 

To clarify: the Eduard kit has open gun covers,  but the engine cowl is closed. The wing gun covers are a little fiddly to close but not bad. My main issue with this kit is the slab sided vertical stabilizer with it's blunt/ fat leading edge.

[Crimea River]

5 hours ago, Of Models & Monsters said:

Oh so the fitting is only a problem if you aren't displaying the guns?  Cause I would have displayed them open anyway.

The only other area that required my attention was the multi-part engine plug forcing the lower engine cowl open slightly. I filled the gap with card,

 

 

Also a small gap at the rear wing/fuselage joint. No biggee,

 

[Of Models & Monsters]

3 hours ago, Crimea River said:

The only other area that required my attention was the multi-part engine plug forcing the lower engine cowl open slightly. I filled the gap with card,

 

 

Also a small gap at the rear wing/fuselage joint. No biggee,

 

If those are the only problem areas then that's nothing.  Eduard it is.

[Ray_W]

I have to agree with @Crimea River.

 

I have built the Eduard D-9 late model boxing with all panels closed. Frankly, I do not remember any major problems but I do like to continually dry fit so may of overcome issues through normal modelling practice. I do not recall any major filling. Only issues I remember was the fettling of the wing root cannon covers so they fit nice and flush (they are designed to portray open)  and also reduce the leading edge of the fin to be more prototypical. There is plenty of material here so check your references and no filling needed - filing yes, filling no.

 

Sorry this is the only grainy image I have of the kit under construction, pre-weathering and details. The finished kit is on the other side of the planet.

 

Ray

 

 

Edited September 3, 2020 by Ray_W
clarification

[fastterry]

Er Ray did you mean to build your 190D as a standard one or a late one as the late one, typically 'Brown 4', had the larger Ta152 fin fitted. Also just a note about the RLM 75 leading edge under the wings, the darker upper surface colour would also be 75 ie it would wrap around to the top colour. Likewise if 81 or 83 was used as the dark colour. These late war 190's were build largely by sub-contractors and the wings were build by a different factory from the tail unit and the fuselage making for a patchwork camo. It appears that very few late machines had the 81/82 top camo on the wings being more likely to be 75/76 or 81 or 83 and 76. Tail units were a different ball game however.

TRF

 

[Bozothenutter]

13 hours ago, Nachtwulf said:

 

To clarify: the Eduard kit has open gun covers,  but the engine cowl is closed. The wing gun covers are a little fiddly to close but not bad. My main issue with this kit is the slab sided vertical stabilizer with it's blunt/ fat leading edge.

damn!, now you said it, I cannot unsee it!

[Ray_W]

10 minutes ago, fastterry said:

Ray did you mean to build your 190D as a standard one

Yes I did. It is one of the options available in the Eduard Profipack Late boxing.  They supply two fuselage types to cover the Standard and Ta-152 tail variants. The scheme is per Eduard with a few variations gleaned from the only photos of yellow 15 which are of the fuselage only being scrapped. These photos also support the standard tail.

9 minutes ago, Bozothenutter said:

damn!, now you said it, I cannot unsee it!

Very easy fix.